Page 152 - Fearless Leadership

Changing Your Direction and Taking a Bold Stand 139

[Learn How to Be a Committed Partner and Ask Others to Do
the Same.]
“I don’t have all the answers. What I do have is a commitment to learn
how to be a more effective partner with you. I will screw up, but I prom-
ise you I will own my mistakes and share them with you. I am asking
you to do the same: take on learning how to be committed partners
with each other and everyone in our organization. Let’s tear down the
walls and be an unbeatable team.”

[Leave Them with an Inspired Vision of the Future.]
“We will be the prototype manufacturing facility and others will come
to us to learn how we accomplished so much in so little time. We will
create an environment where people are fully engaged, energized, and
on board before, during, and after the ramp-up. Our people will say,
‘We kicked our competitors’ butts, and we’re going to do it again.’”

The entire mood of the site changed. People who had previously been
skeptical and resigned were now fully engaged. They were doing whatever
they could to achieve Scott’s vision because it was now their vision too.
People enthusiastically put in extra effort because they believed something
new was possible. Scott motivated them by demonstrating his unwaver-
ing commitment to work together in a new way and care for people.
Scott achieved exactly what he set out to accomplish. Their manufac-
turing site became the model for other operations in the organization.
Scott built a culture of committed partners where people learned together
and succeeded beyond all expectations.
What makes taking a stand so powerful is living it every day and
demonstrating new behaviors that inspire everyone. A stand is not a one-
time message; it is the message. You must express it in your actions and
your words so it becomes the norm for how you expect others to behave.
Think of your stand as taking people on a journey where the path is
uncharted and you are leading the way. At each step, you must demon-
strate unshakable resolve and confidence. You must describe your personal
journey and experiences so others can learn from you and not make
the same mistakes. You must also encourage others to talk about what
they are learning—their breakthroughs and breakdowns—so the entire
organization can learn and grow together. This powerful way of learning